ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that extending the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until 2029 would not be too costly a step if it helps restore peace and protect the public.
Speaking on ARY News programme Khabar, Rana Sanaullah said the emergency could remain in place for at least one year and might continue until 2029. He urged people to pray that the necessary measures for peace could be completed by then, saying it would be a blessing for the public.
He said the measures were aimed at eliminating terrorists and protecting people. If the federal government’s team succeeded in fulfilling the responsibility assigned to it, that itself would be a major achievement, he added.
Rana Sanaullah said thousands of lives had been sacrificed in the war against terrorism and that the armed forces were making sacrifices on the front line. He expressed confidence that the fight against terrorism would succeed under all circumstances.
He said counterterrorism operations would be carried out on a large scale but stressed that no one would be displaced.
Criticising KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Rana Sanaullah called him inexperienced and said he did not understand how politics worked. He compared Afridi to former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar, saying the party had handed Afridi the party leadership and government in a similar manner.
He also claimed that during negotiations, people with experience equal to their age were taking direction from Sohail Afridi. Rana Sanaullah said the agreement being discussed would have benefited the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), but the party did not accept it.
On the opposition’s long march, Rana Sanaullah said cancelling the march was the initial condition for negotiations, after which the opposition’s demands could be considered. He said the opposition’s negotiating committee did not have the authority to call off the march.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had clearly told JUI-F chief Fazal ur Rehman, in his presence, that the march must be called off before talks could proceed. According to Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister had reiterated the same message two days earlier, asking the opposition to cancel the march and come for talks.
He rejected the impression that the government had backed away from negotiations, saying no demand could be accepted through threats of a long march or blackmail.
Rana Sanaullah clarified that he was not present at the early-morning meeting between Fazal ur Rehman and the prime minister, which began at around 6am, as he arrived late.
He also criticised the situation in Afghanistan, saying what he described as ignorance and brutality prevailed there and that girls were not allowed to attend school.
Commenting on Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Rana Sanaullah questioned his connection with the PTI and said the opposition wanted the word “unanimous” included in the understanding on counterterrorism operations.
He further said Fazal ur Rehman had developed a misunderstanding over the negotiations.